Mahomet is always my second choice for nice food around Champaign. I love the Poke Shack, Whisk Coffee & Wine Bar, and YoYo’s Coffee. Recently, a new restaurant called Chophouse On Main opened, and it offers both fine dining and casual meals for lunch and dinner. I will share my experience in this article about my visit for a cozy dinner.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
Chophouse On Main has two levels of dining. The main level offers a more formal style fine dining. The rooftop is more about casual lunch or dinner. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Reservations are recommended but not required. When you call to make a reservation, it is suggested to mention which floor you want to be seated.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
The interior of the restaurant has a cozy, comfy vibe. They also have a bar that serves alcoholic drinks as well.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
Taking look at the menu, there were lots of options including more formal entrées including seafood, steaks, pork chop, and more casual dishes such as sandwiches and burgers.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
I ordered the fresh catch for the week (market price). Each entrée came with two sides. I chose the Caesar salad and the wild rice. The fish we ordered was grilled well and had the crispy, smoky layer outside but was juicy and fresh inside. It was served over a decoration of a piece of lettuce. The portion didn’t look like a large piece, but the whole dish was actually right for a proper meal.
The wild rice was also well-done. It was cooked with some spice, so it was not just plain. When matching a type of meat that is grilled instead of fried, I prefer having some rice rather than fries. For other selection of seafood, there were also scallops, shrimp, and crab cake as choices if you wanted to try out something else.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
The salad came with a large portion and had a rich flavor and freshness. I always love crunchy bread on top of salad.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
Since the restaurant is called Chophouse, how could we possibly miss the pork chop? We ordered the chophouse pork chop ($23) with sweet potato fries and onion rings. You can never be wrong with onion rings. The pork chop had the crispy layer outside, but it still had the tenderness and juiciness inside. On top of the pork chop, an applewood smoked bacon slice with barbecue sauce was accompanied. The BB1 sauce was a bit too much though. I would recommend asking for it served on the side. The sweet potato fries were just right to balance the savory flavor with some slight sweetness. On the menu, there are also lamb chops and a center cut pork chop as well.
Photo by Xiaohui Zhang.
As a fan of crème brûlée ($9), I ordered this one with mixed berries. The size of it was right enough for two people to enjoy, and the quality didn’t disappoint me at all. The custard base was rich and creamy, and the layer of caramelized sugar was crunchy and with slight sweetness. Having a nice dessert is a beautiful ending for a great dinner.
The staff were friendly and introduced some of their recommend dishes. Overall, the atmosphere was warm and cozy. This place could be a good one for a date, a family dinner, a friend gathering, or just a simple lunch. Next time, I would probably try some of their drinks or a casual sandwich lunch since there’re so many options there to explore.
Chophouse On Main
401 E Main St
Mahomet
Su-Th 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
F+Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.